1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to a reader device for reading data from a transponder module. Specifically, the present invention relates to a reader device comprising an antenna for reading via an electromagnetic field data from a transponder module, the reader device comprising a processing unit for controlling the reading, and an antenna connection element connecting electrically the antenna to the processing unit.
2. Related Art
Particularly for identification purposes and for access control applications, it is very popular to use mobile and portable transponders which contain identification data that can be read in a contactless way by appropriate reader devices via an electromagnetic field. This technology is commonly known as radio frequency identification or RFID. Accordingly, the transponder modules are called RFID tags or RFID transponders. Transponder modules comprise an antenna and a microchip connected thereto. Typically, the microchip includes a data store containing stored (user or product) identification information. Transponder modules are implemented in various forms such as labels, cards, bracelets or key tags. A reader device comprises a processing unit and an antenna connected to the processing unit. Typically, in access control applications the reader's antenna is located in a publicly accessible area, whereas the reader's processing unit is arranged for security reasons separate from the antenna. For example, in connection with a door locking mechanism, the processing unit is located on the side (inside) of the door facing the room to be controlled, while the antenna is arranged on the opposite side (outside) of the door.
An example of such an arrangement is described in EP 0 730 073 where an antenna is integrated in the exterior plate of an electrical door lock. The antenna is wire connected through the lock to a reader device arranged on the interior side of the door.
Alternatively, e.g. for installations in the United States, the processing unit as well as the antenna are arranged on the same side of the door, whereas the power supply, e.g. the battery, is arranged on the opposite side of the door.
Although reading identification data by way of an electromagnetic field from transponder modules makes possible contactless access control systems, the level of security may not be sufficient for critical applications where the use of a transponder by an unauthorized person, e.g. a person who acquired the transponder module illegally, should be detected in order to prevent unauthorized access. Furthermore, it may be useful to provide to a user of the system personalized information in connection with access to the system, e.g. time recording information such as numbers of hours worked, amount of vacation time left, etc.